The House of the Dead

Miss Sibiler is a schoolteacher who harbors a disdain for children. In her home, she encounters a haunting sequence as masked children invade her space, culminating in a brutal death. Her story critiques complacency and the darkness hidden within seemingly ordinary lives.

Talmudge is an adulterous man who gets caught in a rainstorm and seeks shelter, only to be drawn into the mortician's world of fateful tales. His infidelity and reckless behavior propel the plot toward a deadly payoff orchestrated by others. He becomes a target as his secret actions come back to threaten him.

The Mortician hosts the macabre anthology, selecting and explaining the fates of his clients. He asserts control over the narrative, revealing the dark logic behind each death. His presence ties the individual stories into a unified interrogation of mortality.

Growski is a man obsessed with cameras and capturing moments, using his recordings to manipulate and victimize others. His voyeuristic tendencies lead to a sequence of deadly acts, culminating in his execution a year later.

Julie is invited into Growski's home under the pretense of a date, only to become another subject of his recorded cruelty. She becomes entwined in a web of performance and danger as the camera lingers on the moment.

Mrs. Lumquist is a cautious elder who is targeted during a taxi ride attempt and becomes entangled in the killer's plans. Her encounter underscores the vulnerability of everyday life to sudden violence.

Toliver is presented as the best crime investigator, clashing with McDowal's English method. He delivers a calculated diagnosis of the case, revealing his own—and his rival's—fates within a high-stakes psychological duel.

McDowal is Toliver's English counterpart, equally confident and cunning. His chase of Toliver culminates in a dramatic turn where a hidden blade and a fatal briefcase explosion shape the story's twist.

Cantwell is a cynical office worker who dismisses a homeless man and becomes trapped in a building, experiencing a brutal decline before his death in a gutter.

Marie is a figure involved in a tense marital cycle that intersects with the other stories, illustrating themes of trust and danger within intimate relationships.

Marie’s husband appears as a jealous, destructive force that confronts Talmudge, tightening the plot’s web of infidelity and retribution.